Wheel Arch Liner Assembly

The Client brief:

The brief was to produce a wheel arch liner to accommodate a 21” DIA wheel (deep draw required) from one piece of material, ideally to be moulded in pairs (LH/RH). This would offer a substantial cost saving against other suppliers moulding in two pieces with an assembly operation.

The solution:

Material grade structure to produce the depth of draw required meant that Thermotec had to develop a dedicated polypropylene with their material supplier to achieve the design. As wheel diameters tend to be standard across the ranges, the client was reluctant to invest in dedicated tooling to accommodate the different mounting strategies for each vehicle. Thermotec developed the moulding tooling to have interchangeable sections that could be changed easily, utilising a “common” high value section of the tooling across the range. The variants were then determined at the CNC routing stage via dedicated CNC programmes. With 28 variants of wheel arch liner (front and rear), this represented a substantial saving to the client in tooling investment.

Further to this, Thermotec source and fit all hardware including air deflectors, fuse/bulb access hatches, NVH pads, rub strips and fasteners. This allows the client to receive the item as a complete assembly that can be fitted directly on the track.

Stirling Moss Spider Instrument Panel

This prestigious client was producing a “limited edition” luxury sports car in a very limited run of 75 cars.

The Client brief:

To produce an instrument panel that utilised vacuum forming techniques combined with polyurethane over-moulding processes that not only excelled aesthetically, but also provided functionality with full airbag deployment.

The solution:

Thermotec developed simple, cost effective yet purposeful tooling that gave a repeatable and compliant product, saving the client thousands of pounds from traditional tooling methods.

“A” Pillar

The Client brief:

To produce an “A” Pillar moulding that was in a “one-piece” construction. The product would be covered in Alcantara (synthetic leather at 0.70mm thick, with no backing scrim), so a seamless smooth “A” surface was paramount. The moulding is 1.8 Metres long, but was designed with substantial “undercuts” that prevented traditional vacuum forming techniques.

The solution:

Thermotec designed tooling that could produce the undercuts required, maintaining the surface conditions, with a one-piece construction. The result was a one-piece construction which optimises the component price. The customer also benefitted from a significantly cheaper tooling investment when compared to injection moulding methods